Macclesfield to Birmingham

[Francis Herne]

Best 'quirky' pub in central Birmingham in my opinion is the Craven Arms, behind the Mailbox. Being mostly teetotal I can't speak for the beer though.

 

Points on the BCN I particularly like, or worth visiting:

Anglesey Basin: very peaceful, short walk up to admire Chasewater, railway with tiny industrial steam and diesel locos.

Pelsall Common: one of few rural-feeling points on the Wolverhampton level. Quite pretty.

Holly Bank colliery basin on the Wyrley & Essington: tiny arm that's navigable but never visited. People came out to look at the boat! Shallow though.

Walsall Basin: strange juxtaposition of the canal with all sorts of modern buildings and art. Good for shopping with the giant Tesco across the street. Only remotely decent place to moor on the Walsall, besides Ocker Hill arm but that's hard to get out of by land. Loud on Friday/Saturday evenings in the summer.

Black Country Living Museum: obvious.

Dudley Tunnel trips next door, assuming your boat doesn't fit.

Tividale Basin: built in the 1990s, intended as a long-term mooring site but never got planning permission. Often passed but few boats go in.

Titford Pools: fun to muck about with a boat. Practice your concrete-pillar-slalom skills!

You can get round the narrow channel around the island in the upper pool, many visitors don't realize that. Phil at the pumphouse always welcomes visitors if he's about. The BCNS issues a plaque to boats that have visited the pools.

Engine Arm aqueduct is pretty. The arm has the cleanest service block anywhere on the canals.

Galton Bridge must rank among prettiest canal bridges.

Icknield Port/Rotton Park loop: some proper old-school BCN dereliction, although it's mostly being demolished for new flats.

Bumble Hole/Windmill End is very pretty. The visitor centre has some interesting photos and models displayed but only opens a few days each week - I think weekends and Wednesdays.

Gosty Hill Tunnel and Hawne Basin. Vampire painting, friendly people, cheapest coal and diesel anywhere. Free visitor mooring for the first week in any year.

Parkhead Basin: three locks to nowhere if you don't fit through the tunnel, but it's quite a neat location. The scaffolding on the viaduct spoils the view a bit just now.

 

Bits I don't like:

Horseley Fields to Tipton is slow and mostly boring. Chillington Wharf is the only intact (ish) railway interchange facility but you only glimpse it from the canal. Bradley arm similar, although the lock gate workshop is well worth visiting if there's a tour on.

Spon Lane locks might be the oldest working lock flight in the country, but they're awful.

Ryders Green locks preserve the '60s-'90s BCN desolation, and are thus very grim. Beware the constantly-renewed mountain of trolleys under the footbridge. If you're mad enough to go up the dead arm toward the Ridgacre beware of the chemical goo peeling your skin off.

Netherton Tunnel is far too long, wide and straight. Boring.

Edited January 4 by Francis Herne
added more comments

[IanD]

3 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

Best 'quirky' pub in central Birmingham in my opinion is the Craven Arms, behind the Mailbox. Being mostly teetotal I can't speak for the beer though.

 

Points on the BCN I particularly like, or worth visiting:

Anglesey Basin: very peaceful, short walk up to admire Chasewater, railway with tiny industrial steam and diesel locos.

Pelsall Common: one of few rural-feeling points on the Wolverhampton level. Quite pretty.

Holly Bank colliery basin on the Wyrley & Essington: tiny arm that's navigable but never visited. People came out to look at the boat! Shallow though.

Walsall Basin: strange juxtaposition of the canal with all sorts of modern buildings and art. Good for shopping with the giant Tesco across the street. Only remotely decent place to moor on the Walsall, besides Ocker Hill arm but that's hard to get out of by land. Loud on Friday/Saturday evenings in the summer.

Black Country Living Museum: obvious.

Dudley Tunnel trips next door, assuming your boat doesn't fit.

Tividale Basin: built in the 1990s, intended as a long-term mooring site but never got planning permission. Often passed but few boats go in.

Titford Pools: fun to muck about with a boat. Practice your concrete-pillar-slalom skills!

You can get round the narrow channel around the island in the upper pool, many visitors don't realize that. Phil at the pumphouse always welcomes visitors if he's about. The BCNS issues a plaque to boats that have visited the pools.

Engine Arm aqueduct is pretty. The arm has the cleanest service block anywhere on the canals.

Bumble Hole/Windmill End is very pretty. The visitor centre has some interesting photos and models displayed but only opens a few days each week - I think weekends and Wednesdays.

Gosty Hill Tunnel and Hawne Basin. Vampire painting, friendly people, cheapest coal and diesel anywhere. Free visitor mooring for the first week in any year.

Parkhead Basin: three locks to nowhere if you don't fit through the tunnel, but it's quite a neat location. The scaffolding on the viaduct spoils the view a bit just now.

Withymoor Island Trust : good secure moorings (refundable key for access), nearest point to walk up to Ma Pardoe's.

Delph Locks : lovely flight, can moor at top or bottom and walk up to the Bull and Bladder.

Yes there's a theme here... 😉

[Machpoint005]

Or he could leave the boat at home, get a train into Manchester, and enjoy some decent beer in a proper pub.

 

 

 

 

Just kidding: decent ale can be found in Brum. Or at least, my quest some 13 years ago succeeded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dmr]

16 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

Or he could leave the boat at home, get a train into Manchester, and enjoy some decent beer in a proper pub.

 

 

 

 

Just kidding: decent ale can be found in Brum. Or at least, my quest some 13 years ago succeeded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a new micro pub/brewery next to the big arena (whatever its called now). Its a bit industrial inside including a whole row of big fermenting vessels. It was rather expensive but the beer was ok.

 

https://sommar.co.uk/pub-quiz-birmingham/brewery/

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

There is a new micro pub/brewery next to the big arena (whatever its called now). Its a bit industrial inside including a whole row of big fermenting vessels. It was rather expensive but the beer was ok.

 

https://sommar.co.uk/pub-quiz-birmingham/brewery/

far too expensive for me,

quite nice to sit and watch the boats from outside though,

 

I think we’d agree the Flapper is better